Electric phonograph stop



Sept. 15, 1931. D. H. CHASON 1,823,530

ELECTRIC PHONOGRAPH STOP Filed Oct. 18. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIII WWW gwvmtoz flam'e/ E 67308 Sept. 15, 1931.

D. H. CHASON 1,823,530

ELECTRIC PHONOGRAPH STOP Filed Oct. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DANIEL HENRY CHASON,

OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY,

ass eivon TO DIEHL MANU':

JERSEY ELECTRIC PHONOGRAPH STOP Application filed October 18, 1929. Serial No, 400,468.

This invention relates to electrically driven. phonographs of the disk-record type and has for an object to provide a simplified and improved stop-device for automatically interrupting the current supply for the phonograph driving motor when the needle of the usual pick-up device reaches the end of the record. Another object of the invention is to provide a stop-mechanism of the class described which is compact fiatwise and is adapted for mounting on the phonographmotor-supporting plate, beneath the usual record-supporting turntable. A further object of the invention is to provide a stopmechanism of the class described, the normally projecting parts of which may be compactly folded on the motor-supporting plate to minimize the danger of their being damaged in shipment. Still further, the invention has for an object to provide a phonograph stop which may be easily set or adjusted for the particular record to be played. The stop, in its preferred form, comprises a base-plate adapted to be mounted on the plate from which the turntable driving motor is suspended and serving as a support for. a spring-energized actuating member, a separate and complete unitarily removable and replaceable electric switch connected to be actuated by said spring-energized member, a trigger-device pivotally mounted on the baseplate and including a pawl-arm adapted to detain the spring-energized member in its set or switch-closing position, and a handle pivoted coaxially with but movable independently of the spring-energizedmember for setting the latter in switch-closing posltion. The trigger-device includes a trip-arm frictionally connected to the pawl-arm and adapted to be engaged by the phonograph tone-arm or pick-up-carrier arm when the pick-up reaches the end of the record being played. A feature of the invention resides in the provision whereby the setting handle for the spring-energized member may be swung around from operative position to a protected shipping position within the area of the motor-supporting base-plate to minimize the danger of its being damaged in shipment. This'movement also disconnects the spring-energized member from the delicate movable contact member of the electric switch-unit and avoids shifting the movable contact-member to an exposed position where it is in danger of being'damaged. Another feature of the invention is the provision of means on the spring-energized member for holding the pawl-armin a fixed position when the spring-energized member is in stopp ng position, so that the trip-arm may be shifted in either direction relative to the fixed pawl-arm in adjusting it to the particular record to be played.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Fig. 1 is a top-plan view of a phonograph mechanism embodying the invention. Fig, 2 shows the phonograph driving motor and stop with the parts folded into shipping position. Fig. 3 1s a plan view of the stop-mechanism removed from the motor-mechanism. Fig. 4 is a section on the line H, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the electric switch looking in the direction of the arrows 6-6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a section transversely of the contact member of the free end of the movable switch-blade. Fig. 8 is a transversesection through the shank of the movable switchlever, taken on the line 88, F ig. 3. Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9, Fig. 3. Fig. 10 1s a section on the line l010, Fig. 3, and Fig. 11 is a side-elevation of the parts looking in the direction of the arrows l1ll,- Fig. 3.

1 represents a metal plate adapted for attachment to the usual top-board of a phonograph cabinet or carrying-case. Such a metal plate is shown in the copending application of Wilbur J. Peets, Aug. 15, 1929, and has suspended from it an electric phonograph-driving motor-mechanism 2, such as disclosedin the copending application of Wilbur J. ,Peets, Serial No. 384,524, filed Aug. 9, 1929, and including ,the turntable shaft 3 carrying the turntable e supporting the usual sound-record (not shown) in position for the tracking of the needle 5 of the usual pickup device 6carried by the tone or pick-up-carrier arm 7 which Serial N0. 386,l33, f led swings about the center 8, and carries the trip-engaging arm 9.

Mounted on the motor-supporting plate 1 is the stop-mechanism-supporting plate 10 to which is riveted the reduced lower end of the stud 11 serving as a. pivot for the actuating member. 12 having a running shoulder 13 and stop-shoulder 14 adapted to engage the pawl 15 frictionally mounted on the sleeve-member 16 which turns freely on the pivot-post 17 riveted to the plate 10. There is also frictionally mounted on the sleeve 16 a trip-arm 18 which is adapted to be engaged by the arm 9 previously referred to. A. friction washer 19 is interposed between the arm 18 and the head 20 of the sleeve 16, and a second friction washer 21 is interposed between the arms 15 and 18; the parts 15, 21, 18, 19 and 20 being held frictionally together by the disc-spring 22 having a radial slot 23 embracing the neck 24 of the sleeve 16. A coil spring 24 is connected at one end to the post 25 on the arm 15 and at its other end is connected to the upturned post 26 on the member 12. This spring serves to actuate the member 12 and also to yieldingly retain the pawl 15 in engagement with the running shoulder 13 in the set or cooked position of the member 12. The arms 15 and 18 constitute a trigger-device which is engaged by the tone-arm trip 9 to release the member 12 from its full-line position, Fig. '3, and permit it to move under the influence of the spring 24 to its dotted line position where it is arrested by its stop-shoulder 14 engaging the end of the pawl 15.

Associated with the stop-shoulder 14 is the overhanging tongue 12 which engages the pawl-arm 15 and prevents movement of the pawl-arm about its pivot when the trip-arm 18 is manually adjusted relative to the pawlarm 15; the force transmitted through the friction joint on the sleeve 16 from the arm 18 to the arm 15 being insufficient to move the arm 15 outwardly when in engagement with the overhanging tongue 12.

Freely mounted on the pivot-stud 11 and movable independently of the member 12 is the handle 27 having a short downturned eX- tension 28 which is yieldingly held by the spring 29 in engagement with the stoptongue 30 struck up from the plate 10. The spring 29 is normally anchored to the post 31 bent up from the edge of the plate 10.

Mounted on the plate 10 by the screw 32 is a complete electric switch-unit comprising a base-plate 33, top-plate 34 and spacerblock 35, all of a suitable insulating material, such as a phenolic condensation product, held together by the rivets 36. The base-plate 33 is of square form, the top-plate 34 is L- shaped, and the spacer-block 35 is rectangular and conforms to the shape of one leg of the L-shaped top-plate 34. Riveted to the. base 33 and top-plate 34 are stationary conshifted tact elements 37 and 38, respectively, which are thus held in spaced relation. These contact elements are electrically connected in one leg of the motor-supply circuit. Pivotally mounted on the stud-pin 39, Fig. 4 is a switchlever 40 including the extension 41 of insulating material about which is clamped the movable contact-member 42 in the form of a rectangular sleeve or ferrulehaving indentations 43, Fig. 7, which serve to fix it on the extension 41. The'switch-lever 40 has a downturned end 44, Fig. 4, which enters the slot 45 in the actuating member 12.

To operate the device, the arm 18 is first clockwise toward the stop 9 so that it will be within the range of action of the stop 9. Then the pick-up device 6 and its carrier-arm 7 are shifted toward and the needle 5 is deposited in the endgroove of the record to be played. In this movement, the arm 9 engages the arm 18 and shifts the latter relative to the pawl arm 15 which is retained by the overhang 12' against movement away from the member 12. The trip-arm 18 and pawl-arm 15 are now properly adjusted relatively to one another for the particular record to be played. Thepick-up is then lifted and the lever 27 is moved clockwise to set the actuating element 12 in running position, Fig. 1, and close the electric-switch, thereby starting the motor and turntable. The pick-up is then lowered as usual into engagement with the beginning portion of the record.

To prepare the device for shipment, the spring 29 is unhooked from the post 31 and the spring 24 is unhooked from the post 25. The stop-screw 46 is removed. The handle 27 may now be swung around into the protected position shown in Fig. 2. The element 12 moves out of engagement with the electric-switch unit, all parts of which remain fixed at all times'in a protected position. The trip-arm 18 may also be shifted to the close-in position shown in Fig. 2.

In case repair or replacement of the switchunit should be required, such switch-unit may be readily removed in its entirety without disassembly or disarrangement of its cooperatively related parts or of the parts of the stop-mechanism.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a phonograph stop-mechanism, abase, a spring-energized actuating element pivoted on said base, a trigger-device, a removable and replaceable electric switch-unit distinct from said actuating element and including stationary and movable contacts, a lever carrying said movable contact, said lever being pivotally mounted in and constituting a part 4 of said switch-unit, the pivotal axes of said spring-energized element and switch-lever being laterally spaced apart on said base,

and an operative connection between said switch-lever and said spring-energized element.

2. In an electrically driven phonograph a record-supporting turntable, a turntable driving electric motor, a plate from which said motor is suspended, a stop-device mounted on said plate and including a self-contained removable and replaceable electric switchunit having stationary andmovable contacts, a spring-energized switch-operating member distinct from and normally connected to said switch-unit, a trigger-device, and a handle for setting said switch-operating member in running position, said handle normally projecting outwardly beyond said plate below and beyond the rim of said turntable but being swingable to break the connection between the sWitch-operating member and the switch-unit and to carry said handle to a protected position over the motor-supporting plate.

In testimony whereof,- I have signed my name to this specification.

DANIEL H. CHASON. 

